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Davidb

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  1. Davidb

    Howells

    MM, so much of what you have said about English repertoire is sadly, very true. We had Walond this morning as a 'light' voluntary before the Bach P+F in G 541. As always, was commented upon as something different. Matthew Camidge wrote some excellent concertos (No.2 being particuarly fine) The Jackson Impromptu is the most fragile piece of music for the most part except the grand climax. I personally play it with each section of 'reed' moving to a greater reed (starting with cornopean, then trumpet, trumpet+clarion and finally tuba) and can really show off an organ. What of the Brewer Marche Heroqiue? in Composition of no less substance than an Elgar pomp and circumstance, or even the Walton marches. Lemare wrote works he knew would impress. Whilst some of it can be seen as sentimental to the nth degree, the depictions of summer 'summer sketches, possibly op.91' are so clever in their observance. The concert fantasia on Hannover presents a stiff challenge to the player, but none the less sounds mightily effective on the right organ. I'm playing the Concert Fantasia No.1 next week in a concert - the most amazing improvisation, featuring Sailors Hornpipe, The march of the Grenadier Guards and Rule Britannia. The last two combine in the final lines playing against each other, as Auld Langs Syne appears in the pedal with a coupled tuba. Such clever writing. I would be inclined to say the same of Hollins, who sadly appears to be little played now except for the Trumpet Minuet. Which Stanford piece did you play? the March Eroica is throughly tasteless, but very good fun!
  2. It's got to be the NNR then... Its 'yellow' this week, one steam and one diesel alternating a 45 minute service, and over the bank holiday weekend this changes to two steams alternating 45 minutes from each end from 10:30 Best advice I can give is to park at Holt and travel to Sheringham, then spend the day there. With the beach and ice creams what more could you want?!
  3. There seems to be anumber of Victorian organist composers who have come up for 'reassassment' in recent years. People seem to be performing more Stainer again now (the Jubilant March is quite fine really) as well as people like Brewer and Harwood, who outside of 'the' two canticle settings and occasional anthems (oh how glorious etc) didn't seem to get much of a look in until a few years ago.
  4. When we cleaned our organ pipes, the exteriors were cleaned with warm water and fairy liquid, the interiors with paint brushes of various sizes depending on the size of the pipe
  5. For Recitals, i've taken to the 'Dame Gillian' method. Photocopy the score at 50% size, and stick these sheets onto some A2 card. Because I already know the works fairly well, the score is little more than an aide memoir and so reading every note quickly is unnecessary,
  6. Another guilty party here, and I wasn't even alive when steam was last hauling passenger services on the mainline! I'm a guard on the North Norfolk Railway (Sheringham) and also keep a website of railway photographs taken by myself, which occasionally end up in various publications, www.dave-ballard.co.uk As much as I would like to volunteer on the footplate, my back seems to have other ideas sadly
  7. Good idea J, I had a look back over the Reubke yesterday, and remember 75% learning the fugue about 18 months ago, and was surprised how much of it seemed ok - certainly something that can be sorted out by August! As such I think I will play this as the main item on the programme. Gibbons is a really good idea, and being the 40th anniversary of his birth, a work by Pablo Bruna seems important even if not thematically appropriate. Bach - Probably the Vater Unser preludes from the Clavierubung, maybe alongside the Ten Commandments prelude from the Orgenbuchlein. Finally, to start with the 'Exultamus' from the Seven Sketches on Psalm verses from Whitlock Or at least that is this mornings thinking!
  8. Hi, I've been asked to partake in a series of recitals this year (an inagural series for the church) where each recital has a different theme, "Royal Weddings" "Easter New life and Hope" etc (it's a rather evangelical church with a churchwarden keen to push use of the organ) and the recital that i've been given is on the theme of 'The King James bible and its content' Any ideas on music that could be played? The Howells psalm-preludes immediately spring to mind, but what other music might you suggest?
  9. The Toccata by Jon Kristian Fjyellsted (incididentally dedicated to David Patrick) is avalible on IMSLP. I guess this must be the composers wish, as it has been there for a couple of years http://imslp.org/wiki/Toccata_for_Organ_%2...Jon_Kristian%29 It often reminds me of the Bolleman toccata from Suite Gothique, but this should definitely not be taken as criticisim! I would be interested to hear more from this composer
  10. Oh another piece i've just remembered Richard Elliotts 'I Saw Three Ships' - It's avalible online in PDF format, and is a very good piece. A video is on youtube of it i believe
  11. Pietro Yon, though an Italian by birth spent much time in America. What about Gesu Bambino, as featured towards the end of the Oxford organ music for Christmas book. A glance at the same book suggests some simple chorale preludes by Wilber Held (O little town of bethlehem, there is one on Divinum Mysterium that exists elsewhere.) There have definitely been Christmas pieces written by Gerre Handcock (Assistant at St. Thomas 5th avenue) and for a lighter number what about the arrangment of Leroy Andersons Sleigh Ride by Thomas Trotter? (Banks) Not going to set the world alight, but maybe a start for you
  12. Hopefully we can have a pleasant, traditional service in the hope of luring other couples back towards this! I agree about the anthem commission. Personally I would be straight on the phone to Gabriel Jackson, with the brief of "your usual style, but approchable, and also publishable in an arrangment for average choirs" As for organ music, "what do we all fancy being asked for for about ten years?" Vierne 1, Lanquiet Toccata?
  13. They're a good, solid piece but like Cynic says would not really work as a whole programmed set. No.4 is well worth a look with just a couple of flutes. I would definitely view them as falling into the 'unjustly neglected' category
  14. I quite agree. To be able to go and sit in a different part of the church and focus on listening, rather than playing the Trio Sonatas must have been one of the most educational musical experiences i've had.
  15. The capabilities of doing this using MIDI exist on pipe organs too. The organ of Worcester Cathedral has this option, as does the newly restored organ of my parish church. (III/38) With the right knowledge, it is entirely possible to make a recording and then open up the midi file (complete with stop changes etc) in Cubase or another similiar programme and amend the notes, either by removal or lengths etc accordingly. The end result is still heard as a recording through the pipes, and apart from when the music is 'too' perfect (or mechanical sounding) it is very hard to tell that such a system has been used Of course you can also turn this system the other way and create a file in sibelius and export it onto the organ.. can be interesting, and enable compositions to be played without the limitations of human physicality!
  16. Hi all, does anybody have, or know where I could obtain, the score for the Hallelujah Chorus (Messiah obviously) arranged for Organ duet either by John Marsh or someone else? The normal avenues seem to have turned up a blank thus far Thanks in anticipation, db
  17. I have just noticed that the Toccata-Gigue on the Sussex Carol by Dr. George Baker, played at the end of 9 lessons from kings last year is avalible on his website, www.drgeorgebaker.com
  18. Hi, I heard Carlo Curley play this piece in a concert recently, a fine jazz-influenced work based on the song 'America' out of West Side Story. Having contacted Mr. Curley about the piece, I was told that the composer had been put off publishing it due to legal issues (Presumably the use of Bernsteins melody?) but that copies did exist within the organ world. So my question is 'Does anybody have acopy of this piece, that they might be prepared to share, or a contact email for the composer?' With best wishes as ever db
  19. "In Organ Lofts and Places where they play?"
  20. Some interesting choices... though i'm pleased to see that they have changed list c of Grade8 quite extensivly, and the music now on that list is of a good quality, and not modernity for the sake of it (though this was never the case with the whitlock previously there) Also a good selection of recently written music (Rawsthorne Fanfare for Francis - Recommended, if hard for grade 5) and more recently popularised music (Demessieux 12 chorale preludes) Karg-Elert now thank we all our God at grade 8? Seems a bit of a simple piece for that level. Surely not comparable to the Bairstow? No Howells though? And does anyone else think there is a lack of Bach in levels up to and including grade 6/7? Will this discourage people from tackling his works?
  21. Hi, can anyone help me? I'm looking for a copy of Lemares arrangment of Carmen, that is as much a medley of popular tunes as it is an arrangment Has anyone got a copy or could point me in the right direction?
  22. Davidb

    Pentecost

    A choral piece that doesn't over-burden technically is 'Come Down O Love Divine' by William Harris. It's a hymn-anthem based on a tune for the epynonemous hymn, but not down ampey (is it North Ellington or something?) - If you fancied stretching your playing, you could do the last movement of the Dupre VeniCreator (the Choral-Varie) as an anthem, alternating the variations with plainchant. We're doing this tonight at Evensong and it is effective.
  23. Last Night: Setting: Wood in the Phyridgian Mode (one of only three times a year we're allowed to divert from the congregational setting) Foot Washing Anthem: Ubi Caritas - Durufle Motet: Ave Verum Corpus - Byrd Start of the Watch: Lamentations - Bairstow Today (Good Friday) Crux Fidelis - Palestrina and the reproaches out of the suppliment to NEH Sunday (Morning) Mass of St Thomas (back to the every sunday mass *Yawn) Christ the Lord is Risen Again - Foster Toccata in G - Dubois Evening - Rededication of the Organ after rebuild Smith Responses Psalm 114 (Bairstow) 117 (Stewart) Stanford in B flat Blessed be the God and Father - Wesley Stanford in B Flat 'Te Deum' 3rd Movement from Sonata No.1 - Guilmant I'm somewhat worried about the 'new' organ though. Still missing six stops, and the rest hideously out of tune. Hopefully the tuning at least will be sorted tomorrow...
  24. I guess the same arrangment appears in the Mayhew 'Four Seasons' which features one movement from each season which is avaliable as a single publication
  25. Last year the Murrill was my staple concert opener (being as he was born in 1909) and it went down well at concerts which had both large numbers of organ afficianados and also a 'holidaymaker' audience. Why not do it? If what you are doing is appreciated, then great but if it's not musically appreciated but still considered that it makes a nice sound that is also good surely?
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